


McTangled

by Hawkeye_918



Category: Overwatch (Video Game), Tangled (2010)
Genre: I already have this all planned out, M/M, definitely gonna add more characters, genji is a dragon, hanzo o hanzo let down your hair, hanzo shimada - Freeform, jesse mccree - Freeform, yep its a tangled au, yes they are their younger selves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-09-07 19:49:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8814022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hawkeye_918/pseuds/Hawkeye_918
Summary: Hanzo Shimada has lived in a tower his entire life, longing to see the cherry blossoms that peak on his birthday. A few days before his twentieth birthday, a charming thief named Jesse McCree arrives and offers to take him to see them. What ensues is hilarity and, of course, romance.





	1. Like Painting the Moon

**Author's Note:**

> Ok guys so this is my first Overwatch story so bear with me. I'm pretty darn proud with how this is coming along. Thanks for reading!

There is a legend, from a long time ago. A legend many are familiar with. The feud of the two dragon brothers, the Dragon of the North Wind and the Dragon of the South Wind. They maintained the harmony and stasis in the heavens above. In an unprecedented argument to end all arguments, the two brothers viciously attacked each other to determine who would be the better ruler of the heavens. The victor of this quarrel was the Dragon of the South Wind, who believed that he had vanquished his brother. But the victory was a hollow one, and the Dragon of the South Wind could not rejoice in the fact that he was now the sole ruler of the skies, instead he felt only grief and remorse for the Dragon of the North Wind.

The surviving brother was deeply pained by his actions. So pained, so distraught, that this noble creature shed a tear. A single tear, which fell from the heavens to the earth, and imbued an ordinary, mountainside wildflower with its magical essence. The legend also claimed that this flower possessed the ability to heal, if one were to sing a special song to it.

_Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine. Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine. What once was mine..._

For many decades, a man who had been gravely injured in an attack in the far-off kingdom of Switzerland. This once noble valiant and courageous warrior had suffered great trauma, leaving him a mere shadow shadow of his former self. Leaving him more shadow than man. He settled himself in a tower deep in the woods. It was only a matter of time before he discovered this mythical flower, and used its power to keep himself alive, to keep himself human. But the effects were temporary. Thus this shadowy man had to make frequent sojourns from the safety of his tower to visit the flower and sing to it. He kept the flower covered so he alone could use its magic. He had followed this protocol for decades, but nothing so seemingly perfect could last for long.

In the kingdom beyond the hills, on a warm late March night, a crisis was brewing. The king and queen of Gibraltamura were expecting the birth of their very first child, but there were complications with the pregnancy. Queen Shimada was quite ill, and so her own life as well as the life of her unborn child were at stake. The royal couple had attempted every remedy in the book and were grasping at straws. Out of ideas, King Shimada commanded the royal soldiers to comb the mountainside where the flower of legend was said to grow, and bring it back so it could be made into a tea to restore vitality to the queen and allow her to deliver their heir safely.

While the royal army set out to search the hills for the flower, the shadowy man crept from his tower to do the same. The clandestine hermit had only just arrived at his prized flower and uncovered it, when he was startled into the shadows by the sound of approaching footsteps. The soldiers had arrived, too, and noticed the brilliant cerulean bloom. The soldiers quickly dug up the flower and brought it back to the castle, post haste. The mystery man watched helplessly as his precious flower was carted off.

The flower was quickly made into a tea, and the king helped his reclining wife drink it. Her labor was not particularly intense, and in little time, the queen bore a healthy baby boy with a full head of hair, the deepest shade of blue.

The citizens of Gibraltamura were quick to learn of the birth of their new prince, and held celebrations in the streets. There was loud music, delicious food sold from stalls, and laughter and partying for several hours. The night was warm and the air was sweet. The cherry blossoms were in the peak of their bloom, and countless pale pink sakura petals danced on the breeze. Many people remarked that it was evidence of Mother Nature herself revelling in the birth of Gibraltamura’s prince. The people anticipated witnessing those valuable years where their new prince would grow into a fine and honorable young man. But that was not to be.

For as the people of Gibraltamura celebrated in the streets, Her Highness rested in her bedroom, His Highness attended to his kingly duties, and the infant prince slept in his nursery, a stranger was approaching with immoral intentions.The man from the shadows, clad in a hooded cape, made his way into the royal nursery, where the prince slept peacefully and unaware. He snatched up the infant and silently absconded into the night.

In the morning, the queen went to see her brand-new son, and was met with shock and fear when she saw the crib vacant. She immediately broke into tears and fell on her knees. The royal guard appeared almost instantaneously to inquire about the commotion, but one look at the empty crib  and their wailing queen and the soldiers knew that someone had stolen the prince. A vast and thorough manhunt ensued, and the soldiers searched every corner of the kingdom, but to no avail. They could not have known that their prince was safely tucked in a tower deep in the hills, his new guardian a wraithlike former soldier.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Almost twenty years to the day had passed since that fateful night. Presently, a scruffy young rogue in a cowboy hat had just infiltrated the Shimada castle. He and two comrades slunk silently through the corridors towards the prize they were seeking. The Storm Bow. It was crafted especially for the Lost Prince, and was kept sealed up in glass, in a locked room, protected by armed guards. The rogue, with the aid of one of his accomplices--a tall, hulking man clad in overalls and a porcine mask--made quick work of incapacitating the guards. The Storm Bow was worth a hefty sum and most definitely worth the trouble it was taking to obtain it. Once all the guards had been rendered unconscious or deceased, the third comrade--a wiry fellow with spiky blond hair, covered head to toe in a layer of soot--carefully placed a detonator on the glass case housing the bow. With a cacophonous cackle, this third comrade set off the detonator, shattering the heavy-duty glass but not so much as scratching the bow. The young man in the cowboy hat put the bow carefully in a large sack, hefted it over his shoulder, and the three men made their getaway. It was now that the castle guard became aware of the heist, and several troops were dispatched to catch the thieves and bring back the bow.

When they were outside the castle, the cowboy announced, “Sorry t’ skedaddle, boys, but I got other plans, an’ y’all ain’t in ‘em!” Making sure he had a good hold on the sack, the cowboy took off into the woods, his jilted compatriots and the guards in hot pursuit. “OI! YA DRONGO! No one pulls one ova on Jamison Marie Fawkes an’ lives ta tell about it! Hook ‘im, Roadie!” The blond screeched, earning a grunt in compliance from his larger companion. The big guy in the mask--Mako, the cowboy remembered--set loose a large hook on a chain. The hook missed the cowboy by mere inches, and instead hooked into a portrait of said cowboy on a wanted poster, stapled to a tree. Mako withdrew his hook with an angry grunt, and the thugs maintained the chase of their traitorous cohort. The soldiers were far behind and were struggling to keep the thieves within their vision.

“I been chased by shirtless fellas before, y’all ain’t givin’ me no new experience!” The rogue in the hat laughed, as if this was a typical situation. As the men went deeper and deeper into the forest, the footpaths were less defined, and all three as well as the guards had to take errant steps to avoid colliding with the trees or tripping on underbrush. The cowboy was puffing, out of breath. He didn’t know how much longer he could keep up the chase. There was no telling what his seedy accomplices would do if they caught him. Frankly, he was not keen to find out, and picked up the pace, much to the chagrin of his aching limbs and tired lungs. He got far enough ahead that he was out of sight of Mako and Jamie. Just when he was convinced his demise would be imminent, the cowboy fell through some foliage, and into a clearing, leaving his pursuers to run by, oblivious to his whereabouts. He stood up and brushed himself off. Peering into the distance, he noticed a tall tower in the distance. Ivy spiraled around its exterior, and perhaps sixty feet up was a window.   _Perfect _, he thought to himself. It would take him a little while to get to it, but he surmised that it was probably not occupied and would make a decent hide-out.__

____

Meanwhile, in the tower across the clearing, a young man with seventy-foot long dark blue hair roused himself from slumber. He cautiously got out of bed and dressed himself in a blue and white kyudo-gi. Having hair several times your body length can make the most menial tasks an adventure. “Hanzo, breakfast!” Came a call from the other side of the tower, to which the addressee replied, “Yes, father.” Hanzo awoke his ferret-sized green dragon, Genji, then sauntered down the steps to his father, taking care not to trip over his length of hair.

“Good morning, Hanzo”, his father said, giving him a peck on the top of his head. Hanzo returned the ‘good morning’ and sat down to eat. The two ate in an awkward, palpable silence. Genji crawled down from Hanzo’s shoulder and onto the table, where he then picked a piece of bacon off Hanzo’s plate. Hanzo did not seem to notice, he picked absentmindedly at his breakfast and stared vacantly out the window. Hanzo’s father stood up and winced, his joints ached terribly. Gabe was a tall, dark and handsome man, despite several scars and an intimidating scowl marring his visage. Marks on a man hardened by combat.

“Mijo, I’m going into town to get more supplies. Its your birthday soon, yeah? You know what you want?” Gabe glanced down at his son. Genji looked up quizzically.

“Well, yes, father.” Hanzo eyed his father warily, apprehensively.  Genji glanced between the two humans, then crawled back up onto Hanzo’s shoulder, peeking out from behind his hair. Hanzo was not a timid young man, but Gabe’s stare could make empires crumble. Hanzo took a deep breath. “I would like to go into the village and see the cherry blossoms. I see the trees out the window around this time, and I--”

Gabe slammed his hand down on the table, cutting Hanzo off. “Ay, cariño! I’ve told you before, I can’t let you do that!” Hanzo got up from the table silently and drifted over to the window. Gabe approached him from behind and put a hand reassuringly on Hanzo’s shoulder. “Do you remember what I told you when you were little?” Gabe’s voice softened. Hanzo nodded and sighed. “You told me people would want to hurt me, for my hair, to use it for themselves. But now you need not worry! I am nearly twenty, I can defend myself!” Hanzo gestured to his wooden bow, hung on the wall, and the targets speckled with arrow holes on the wall beyond that. Gabe massaged his brow in exasperation. “I really gotta go into the village, Hanzo. So I’ll comb your hair then go, and if you’ve figured out something reasonable for a birthday gift while I’m gone, I’ll get it for you.” Hanzo gave a resigned nod in response. Genji glared and hissed at Gabe.

Gabe ignored Genji, and made his way to the dining table. He effortlessly dragged two chairs over to where Hanzo stood. Hanzo obediently sat down in the first chair, and Gabe sat down behind him and withdrew a comb from his jacket pocket. Genji scurried off, eager to avoid Gabe. Gabe began the process of combing Hanzo’s hair. Hanzo sang softly, his  voice low and quiet. He closed his eyes and smiled slightly as his father ran the comb lovingly through his son’s silky hair.

Flower gleam and glow,  
let your power shine.  
Make the clock reverse,  
bring back what once was mine.  
What once was mine…

With Hanzo’s words, his hair glowed blue. When Gabe touched it, the throbbing pain that filled his body ceased. The two men stood up, and Gabe hugged his son. “Its time I get going, mijo. Remember what I told you. You’re the safest here, other people are no good for you.” Hanzo wordlessly approached the window, and let his hair down the exterior of the tower. They exchanged a brief farewell, and Gabe descended Hanzo’s hair.  
Gabe landed on the ground and waved up to Hanzo before disappearing. So Hanzo hauled up his hair and turned to face the empty room with a despondent sigh. Genji peaked out from where he had been hiding, and made haste in returning to the familiar perch of Hanzo’s shoulder. _It would appear that I am not so alone after all _. He scratched under Genji’s chin, and the dragon closed his eyes in satisfaction.__

__  
_ _

Hanzo would be twenty years old in a few days time, and he had spent his entire life in the confines of the tower. He had no one to talk to except Gabe and Genji. And while Genji was an incomparable companion, he was not much of a conversationalist. As far as activities to do, Hanzo had a plethora of hobbies, but in this moment, he was not certain what to do. Hanzo enjoyed tattoo artistry, and was nearly complete with a complex pattern spanning his left arm. He was something of a toxophilite, spending several hours a day practicing with his bow and arrows. There were a multitude of books he had to read, but he had read them all so many times he could nearly recite them.

As Hanzo stood there pondering what to do, he became acutely aware of the sound of scratching and scraping outside his window, along with….faint cursing? He readied his bow and slung his quiver over his shoulder, then retreated into the shadows. The clammering outside crescendoed. Before Hanzo could process what was happening, a leg was slung over the window sill. The leg was followed by a hand, and the hand was followed by the rest of the person it belonged to. The person fell clumsily into the room. He quickly righted himself and removed a sack from his shoulder and moved to open it, an eager expression on his face.

It was then that Hanzo struck. He snuck up under the cover of the shadows, and gave this intruder a quick palm thrust to the head, effectively knocking him out cold. It certainly payed to read that book on pressure points,  Hanzo remarked to himself, grinning internally.

But the fact of the matter was that there was an unconscious man lying on the floor of his tower. Hanzo stared at the man lying slumped on the ground before him for a minute or so, basking in the novelty of seeing another human being. Hanzo approached him slowly, then crouched to get a better look at this stranger. He was certainly good looking, with a toned body and handsome face. Said face was covered in a five o’clock shadow and light beard, and he was dressed in a work shirt with rolled up sleeves. A gun in a holster was on his hip, and an old cowboy hat lay a few feet away from where the man had fallen. Genji, still perched on Hanzo’s shoulder, watched the intruder intensely and suspiciously, flicking his tail.

Hanzo’s senses eventually returned to him, and it occurred to him that there was a stranger in his tower and his father would be back soon. He dragged this apparent cowboy off to his chifferobe, stuffed him and his stupid hat inside, and used a chair to keep the doors shut.Genji gave Hanzo a panicked look, which he acknowledged and ignored. Hanzo remembered the sack that the intruder had brought with him. Curiosity had seized him, and he felt the need to look inside it. So Hanzo picked the sack up from the floor and opened it up. His eyes widened in disbelief when he saw the bow inside.

The bow was simply gorgeous. It was a superbly crafted bow, the body painted cobalt blue and made from some flexible, high quality wood (Hanzo wasn’t sure which--wood identification not being among his myriad of talents and hobbies). It felt absolutely perfect in his hands. Tentatively, he withdrew an arrow from his quiver and nocked it. He shot it at a back wall, smiling smugly when it hit.

“Hanzo, I’m back, let down your hair!”, Gabe called up from the ground outside. Hanzo quickly stuffed the fancy bow back in its sack and stuffed it in the chifferobe with the still knocked-out cowboy. “Coming, father!”, Hanzo yelled back, swiftly dropping his hair out the window. Gabe wasted no time in scaling his son’s hair. He climbed in and deposited the food and supplies on the dining table.

“Father?”, Hanzo asked, coming up carefully behind Gabe. “You asked me what I wanted for my birthday, and now I know.”

Gabe turned on his heel to face Hanzo, his features icy. “What would that be? You don’t still want to go into the village to see the cherry blossoms, do you?”

Hanzo stiffened. “Oh, no, father! All thoughts of seeing the cherry blossoms are out of my head!” Hanzo put his hands up defensively, trying to assure Gabe he was truthful. Hanzo never had much cause to lie before, and he was relatively unused to it.

Gabe seemed to buy his act, his features softening, putting a hand on Hanzo’s shoulder. “Ok, then, what do you want?”

Hanzo stiffened. “Do you remember, a few years ago, how you got me those fine duck feathers? For the fletching on my arrows?” His tone was eager but not pushy.

Gabe clasped his hands over his face. “Ay, Hanzo! That’s several days journey!” Hanzo frowned at the ground. Gabe gave a resigned sigh. “You’re lucky I love you, mijo.” Hanzo hugged his father in gratitude.

Gabe began packing all the necessary things for his trip. Food, money, ammo and his shotguns. “You can never be too safe”, Gabe often said.

As soon as Gabe had been lowered safely to the ground, Hanzo gathered up his hair and sat down. He sighed in relief. Genji seemed to be relieved, too.

_And now to do something about the cowboy in my dresser_ , he said to himself. 


	2. The Green Glass Door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our fellas begin their little journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about that helluva hiatus, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this story!

Hanzo opened the dresser door with no small sense of trepidation. The cowboy, his hat, and the wondrous blue bow in the gunny sack tumbled out. When his uninvited guest groaned, Hanzo knew he had to move swiftly before he came-to. Hanzo snatched up the sack with the bow in it. Next, he dragged over a chair from near the window where his father had combed his hair not too long ago. He then dragged the cowboy to the chair and sat him down, not exactly an easy feet. With no other means to restrain the intruder, Hanzo used his own extensive locks to tie the cowboy to the chair. Hanzo carefully placed the bow down behind himself.

Then came the tricky part.

A good slap to the face quickly awoke the main in the chair. Smacked into consciousness like a newborn baby, our rogue glanced around the room rapidly, attempting to adjust to his new surroundings. When his eyes fell on Hanzo, a grin spread across his face. Genji hissed from his hiding spot.

“Well, hey there!” His rakish charms had apparently no effect on Hanzo, it seemed. A look down at his arms and chest bound in the ample hair of the man across from him did not change his tune. “This is pretty kinky, huh?” The cowboy laughed nervously.

Hanzo’s nearly unwavering stoicism prevailed. “Why are you in my tower?” His face was unreadable, his voice twinged with irritation.

“I didn’t mean to break an’ enter, sorry. I was just in th’ area, an’ I thought, ‘What a mighty fine tower! Maybe I’ll go inside an’ say howdy’.” He smiled sheepishly. 

Hanzo was not fooled, but decided to change the subject. “.....What, exactly, do you call yourself?”

The damn grinning cowboy was at it again. “The name’s McCree. Jesse McCree.” He gave Hanzo an appraising look. “An’ what is your name, sweetheart?”

Hanzo frowned. “I am Hanzo. And you, Jesse McCree, are a thief.” He withdrew the bow from the sack and held it inches away from his captive’s face.

Jesse was bewildered. “Wait...how…?”

Hanzo put the bow back in the sack, and the sack back behind himself. “You are not an archer, I can tell. This isn’t your bow. You stole it.” Hanzo’s eyes seemed to pierce Jesse. Genji’s glare didn’t help either.

Jesse raised his eyebrows. “I give in. Can never stand bein’ untruthful to a handsome fella.” The smile returned. “But do me a solid and call off your iguana?”

“Genji is not an iguana. He is a dragon.” Hanzo smiled smugly when Genji emerged from behind his hair.  
Jesse looked carefully at Genji. _An honest-to-goodness dragon. Like the one from that legend, but shrimpier. _Genji crawled down to McCree, bit him on the nose, then returned to his perch on Hanzo’s shoulder. While McCree shouted in alarm and tried to rub his nose, (his hands couldn’t reach, he was still bound), Hanzo had an epiphany.__

__“Alright, thief. I will not turn you in to the authorities on one condition: you take me into the kingdom to see the cherry blossoms.” Hanzo folded his arms and smiled softly._ _

__Jesse cocked his head like a confused puppy.  “You wan’ me… to show ya the flowers in the city?”_ _

__Hanzo fumed, his hair binding McCree tightened. “Do not act like it is a stupid question. I could kill you now myself if I so wished!” Genji took that as a cue to scamper off. Confrontation was not his thing._ _

__Jesse’s eyes widened, and he raised his hands defensively, well, as much as he could with bound arms. “I wasn’t thinkin’ anythin’ of the sort! I was jus’ wonderin’, why do ya need me to go with you? Can’t ya go alone?”_ _

__Hanzo turned his back, his hair around Jesse relaxed a bit. “... I don’t know the city. I presume that you do? Any thief worth his salt must know the area in which he practices to avoid capture. And I would guess that you have been somewhat successful up until now?”_ _

__For every roguish grin Jesse mustered, Hanzo had a frown or smug smile to cancel it out. Presently, it was a childlike pout. Not that Jesse could see see with Hanzo’s back to him._ _

__“I’ll do it, ok? No need to feel down.” While Jesse hadn’t seen Hanzo’s pout, he’d definitely heard a hint of  loneliness in his voice. He looked down at his bindings.  “Your hair’s real nice, Hanzo, but couldja maybe lemme lose? Can’t exactly take you to see them flowers tied up like this.”_ _

__So Hanzo uncoiled his hair from around Jesse. Jesse tried to stand up, but his limbs were asleep. He fell down immediately. Hanzo snorted._ _

_________________________________________________________________________________ _

__

__It had been decided. _We’re doing this. I’m doing this. I’m leaving. I’m leaving. _Hanzo’s thoughts were a dizzying storm in his skull. His heart wouldn’t shut up, either. It was like a particularly determined percussionist was performing an epic drum solo in his chest cavity.___ _

____Hanzo stuffed some non-perishables in a bag and slung it over his shoulder. McCree bent down to grab the gunny sack containing the Storm Bow. “Don’t even think about it, cowboy.” Hanzo didn’t need to turn around to figure out what McCree was doing. McCree righted himself and backed up slowly and tried to appear nonchalant and uninterested. Hanzo rolled his eyes and grabbed the sack._ _ _ _

____“Genji!” The dragon crawled out from wherever he’d been hiding. “I am going out--” Genji looked perplexed to say the least. “You better stay here. It is the safest option.” Genji seemed to understand. But he also seemed to not think that this was the best idea, he seemed to be concerned for Hanzo’s wellbeing. As far as dragons go, he was pretty expressive.  Genji and Hanzo always seemed to be communicative in a reserved sort of way, and they had a sort of silent understanding. Some kind of deep-running bond._ _ _ _

____Jesse seemed to have qualms about a different facet of the situation. “How the hell we gonna get down from this godfersaken tower? Gettin’ up here was one thing, gettin’ down is gonna be a whole new can o’ worms.” He pensively carded his fingers through his hair, hat in hand._ _ _ _

____Hanzo smiled, genuinely. “We’ll rappel. We should be fine. Just don’t look down.” Genji nodded emphatically in agreement._ _ _ _

____Jesse didn’t look so sure._ _ _ _

___________________________________________________________________________________ _ _ _

____They did indeed rappel down. Hanzo had tied his hair onto the window sill, and with Jesse gripping his waist with white knuckles, they descended._ _ _ _

____Jesse resisted the urge to collapse when they landed on the green grass. A fan of heights, he was not. Hanzo seemed more… exuberant. How much was the nervousness of leaving the only space he’d ever inhabited, and how much was the joy of seeing the outdoors for the first time, Jesse could not be sure. And quite frankly, neither could Hanzo._ _ _ _

____“Alright, cowboy. Assuming you have the competence to lead me to the city, how do we proceed?” Hanzo’s eternally snarky nature presented itself yet again, not that he had tried to hide it._ _ _ _

____McCree was starting to get a little annoyed. He was not stupid, as Hanzo implied. Our rogue smirked, “Well, y’know what they say about assumin’.” It was not too much of a burn, maybe just requiring a dollop of metaphorical aloe. But it was enough to notably increase Hanzo’s rage on the pissed-off scale._ _ _ _

____Again, McCree was not stupid. While it had felt pretty good to let that quip out, he knew travelling with someone when one or both parties is supremely irritated does not make a fun trip. He sobered a bit. “Alright, alright.” He sighed. “I know a tavern of sorts not too far away. There are some folks there that _might _be willin’ to help us.”___ _ _ _

______Hanzo closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It is not the most promising sounding of suggestions, but it is better than nothing. Do we have an estimated time of arrival?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jesse rubbed his scruffy chin looked up to the sky, like the answer was written on the nearly cloudless sky. A straight path would have been the preferable option, of course, but McCree also had to figure in how far away the junkers would be by now. The persistent bastards couldn’t be too far._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I guess I’d say our ETA would be… four hours? It’s a bit of a hike, not gonna lie.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Hanzo relaxed a bit. “Very well. Then guide me.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jesse gave a nod, and the duo made their way through the curtain of vegetation onto a wooded path. The path was little more than barely tramped down long grass, and it was narrow, with McCree taking the point and Hanzo a meter behind. On one hand the isolation made Hanzo feel they would not be followed, on the other hand, it made him suspicious that the cowboy would lead him to some quiet spot and blow his head off. He hadn’t taken his eyes off that revolver, and he did not trust Jesse McCree. Hanzo’s grip on the gunny sack containing the Storm Bow tightened._ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______The hike had lasted nearly two hours thus far and had been largely in silence. It was only interrupted when a twig would snap or leaf would rustle suspiciously, and the cowboy would whirl around, revolver in hand, only holstering it when he had appraised the radius around them and deemed it safe. At first Hanzo had thought it to be simple, usual thief’s paranoia. But like Jesse, Hanzo was no fool._ _ _ _ _ _

______Hanzo stopped. “You were being followed.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______McCree stopped, too. “Beg your pardon?” He didn’t turn around to face Hanzo._ _ _ _ _ _

______“It is obvious. You were caught stealing that bow, perhaps? You ...slipped up?” Jesse stiffened, and Hanzo realized he hit a nerve, so he continued. “You needed a safe house. You saw my tower and thought it was abandoned, vacant. My father maintains it so to give that appearance. But you scaled it, McCree. “_ _ _ _ _ _

______McCree turned around slowly, and he didn’t look pleased._ _ _ _ _ _

______Hanzo crossed his arms, his hold on the sack still tight, his blunt fingernails digging into the fabric. “I know you would have hid in my home had I not disturbed you. Had my father been home and caught you? Cowboy, you would’ve been dead before you’d climbed halfway up the tower.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______McCree bit his lip and inhaled sharply. He opened his mouth as if to say something harsh. Hanzo stood his ground, waiting. But Jesse turned around. “That’s just as well then, huh, Hanzo? Lucky all I gotta do is just deliver your ass to those goddam cherry blossoms. Why the hell d’ya need to see them so bad anyway? Goddam groves of them. Petals blowin’ all around and gettin’ in everythin’.” The bitterness was palpable._ _ _ _ _ _

______Hanzo was livid. “I’ll have you know--”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Look. I get you to those flowers, then I get that bow back. Then you never have to see my sorry hide again. That was the deal, yeah? No need to complicate it. I have every intention of bein’ a hospitable guide, if you’ll let me, Mr. High-and-Mighty.” Jesse sighed and started walking again. Hanzo stubbornly stayed put. When he didn’t hear the light pitter-patter of Hanzo’s footsteps behind him, Jesse turned back around to face him. “You comin’?” His voice was softer, kinder, like it had been back in the tower. Hanzo trudged forward obligingly, and Jesse smiled._ _ _ _ _ _

______They walked in silence for another hour and a half, until the tavern came into view._ _ _ _ _ _

___________________________________________________________________________________ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______“There’s somethin’ you oughta know about this place. Can be a tad rough at times.” Jesse drawled, but Hanzo could hear a twinge of sentimentality in his voice._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I am more than capable of handling myself.” His tone had less of its usual bite, in this moment it was more matter-of-fact._ _ _ _ _ _

______Jesse laughed heartily. “Believe me, I know.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______If Hanzo didn’t know better, he would’ve thought that the sound gave him butterflies in his chest._ _ _ _ _ _

______Thankfully, they could see the tavern now, and tht pulled Hanzo out of that train of thought._ _ _ _ _ _

______The tavern was comprised of old splintery boards nailed together at haphazard angles. It seemed the designer (Hanzo could hardly say ‘architect’)  had attempted some sort of Alpine lodge exterior. The edifice looked quite old, it seemed to be a miracle that it had stood for so long. It looked snug enough, the steep roof wasn’t caved in (yet?), and at least it had glass windows._ _ _ _ _ _

______They were close enough now that Hanzo could read the name of the tavern, it hung on a wooden sign next to the building. The sign was ugly, peeling orange text painted over an old white board. The sign hung at a jaunty angle from its post by a singular rusty chain, and there was evidence there had once been two chains,the other had probably rusted off long ago. The sign swung in the breeze with an eerie creaking noise._ _ _ _ _ _

______Hanzo resisted the urge to shudder._ _ _ _ _ _

______The steady, nearly four hour trek was over. This tavern was supposed to be where they would find help on their journey into the heart of Gibralatamura, had McCree been telling the truth. One look at the hideous building had Hanzo anticipating what kind of rough clientele this place attracted, and he fleetingly hoped the cowboy had lied or been confused. This couldn’t be the place. Surely._ _ _ _ _ _

______They now stood a few meters back from the door to the establishment. “She’s a beaut, ain’t she? If I had a dollar for every scrap I got into here…” That was not a reassuring statement, despite the wistful look in Jesse’s eyes. Hanzo cocked an eyebrow at the tavern’s name, and turned to look at Jesse. “....’The Watchpoint’.” Jesse nodded with a devilish grin. “The Watchpoint”, he affirmed._ _ _ _ _ _

______It was at that moment that a man rocketed out of the tavern’s window, sending glass flying everywhere._ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started this several months ago but school is a bitch and stress in my life is another but I hope you guys stick with me because I really do plan on continuing this story and finishing it. Definitely taking creative liberties, as you can tell. Thanks for reading! I'm on tumblr, my writing blog is @pang0lins.


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